STEELE SALON BARS
Powell, OH
Steelesalonbars.com
Owner: Ray & Lauren Steele
Salon Style: luxury, innovative, community
Square Footage: 2,400
Stations: 22
Treatment Rooms: 1
Manicure Stations: 2
Pedicure Thrones: 2
Equipment: Eurisko, Maletti
Furniture: Eurisko
Total Design Investment: $650,000
Design by: Kimberly Orr, Ray & Lauren Steele
Architects: David Kerr, DK Architects
Photographer: Cory Klein

When clients first enter Salon Steele Bars in Powell, Ohio, it’s the fragrance that first signals that this will be a luxurious experience. A combination of woody notes, white amber and exotic jasmine create an uplifting scent that embraces guests in a warm hug.  

The lobby is elegantly adorned with an eye-catching, six-foot wide crystal halo chandelier and a one-of-a-kind, 12-foot tall mirror-tiled fireplace. Mounted on another wall is a giant gold-plated Steele Salon Bars butterfly logo, which doubles as a trendy selfie wall when finished clients pose between the wings.  Chic, plush pink sofa and chairs with metallic gold legs complete the relaxing reception. 

Owners Ray and Lauren Steele set out to design the “Louis Vuitton” of the salon suite and booth rental business—a place where independents would feel both like royalty and their own CEO inside a modern, open salon environment. 

“When you’re in our salon, it’s like being in a million-dollar Miami mansion, clothed from head to toe in the finest luxury imported Italian fabrics, marble-tiled floors, snow white wainscoting, decorative lighting and metal accents,” Ray says. 

A second halo chandelier illuminates the front of the salon. Here, a greenery wall accented with the white neon phrase “Be Beautiful” provides guests with another Instagrammable opportunity. The phrase represents a portion of the full Steele slogan, which is “You’re Beautiful, Be Beautiful,” which acts as a compliment and an encouragement. “By adding ‘Be Beautiful,’ we are encouraging clients to take action to be their own boss and live their dreams to the fullest,” Lauren says.  

The open salon booth area has an astounding daytime starry sky runway effect, created by the canned light pattern on the high ceilings. Lovely, large gold dome lights hang over each of the ten chairs in the salon area. Luxury suites flank the sides of the salon. The open booths and private suites both have intelligently designed, illuminated Eurisko mirror stations with cabinetry for storage, tool holders and a sleek lacquered finish. Sleek, black Maletti Italian chairs finish the look. 

In the open salon area, there are four stunning shampoo bowls near the back of the salon in front of a satin black backbar that has four stainless steel product holding wells, is backlit, and is outlined in diamond-like mirror tiles. Gorgeous gold exploding firework lights hang over each wash station. 

“We are unique in that we are a luxury hybrid salon designed with both open booths and private suites,” Ray says. “Our design creates an open concept, community environment that is not seen in the rental business.”